Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Raises Holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. boosted its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 5.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 443,321 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 21,630 shares during the quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned 0.75% of Waters worth $163,395,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in Waters by 5,200.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Stock Performance

Waters stock traded down $2.63 during trading on Friday, reaching $352.28. The company had a trading volume of 807,500 shares, compared to its average volume of 473,842. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $279.24 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $347.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $365.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.58 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. The business had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $655.50 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.21 EPS. Waters's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WAT. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Bank of America increased their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday. Baird R W raised Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Wall Street Zen cut Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, June 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $388.00.

About Waters

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.